I don’t know about you, but I obsess…. daily… about what I don’t know. What I’m not reading. Who I’m not hanging out with.  Who will s-t-r-e-t-c-h me. Who will f-o-r-c-e me out of my Comfort Zone.  Who will be so god damn compelling that I’ll be required to reexamine/toss out basic tenets of my belief system” – Tom Peters  – The Brand You 50

How often do you go to lunch with the same people. Read the same magazines, newspapers or websites? How often do you go to the same conferences or perform the same work for the same clients?

Of course, it’s so easy to hang out with the same people, read the same magazines or newspapers, or visit the same websites. No matter what your busness, going to the same conferences  and talking with the same customers and suppliers is deadly for your career and your business.

But the truth is, the more varied the people you meet with or the more varied your reading material,  the more you will be challenged to grow – mentally, emotionally and professionaly.

So, the next time you’re at the newstand, about to buy your usual paper or magazine, pick the one next to it.  When you’re next online, join Stumbleupon.com (free) and discover new content based around your interests or passions.

Here’s some other ideas as to how you can meet new people who will challenge you:

1. The next time you read a magazine article,  a book or visit a website that really inspires you, email the author or leave a comment with your views and start a conversation.  Maybe meet them at a conference or invite them to lunch the next time your paths cross. Connect with them.
2. Find out what conferences or writers these people attend or read and go and read them and repeat the process.
3. Pick a conference they recommend and go to it.
4. Network like crazy….!

Open a free account at Zoho.com and input all your new found contacts into the Customer Relationship Module (www.crm.zoho.com). Consciously cultivate these super cool contacts constantly.

Before you know where you are you’ll be growing and experiencing opportunites you never thought possible.

What do you think?